Desk with sliding book support



Dec. 5, 1939. J. M. RAINWATER DESK WITH SLIDING BOOK SUPPORT Filed Jan. 25, 1939 7.5 555 M Zfakhwazar Patented Dec. 5, 1939 UNETED STATES 2,182,703 DESK WITH sunmc BOOK sorroar Jesse M. Rainwater, Augusta, Ga., assignor of one-fourth to Harry H. Bell, Sn, Augusta, Ga.

Application January 23, 1939, Serial No. 252,487

7 Claims.

, This invention relates to desks or desk tops particularly useful in bookkeeping or in any other occupation in which it is necessary or desirable to shift large heavy books, and particularly where it is desired to bring items in two or more books, which it is desired'to compare, close together and in close juxtaposition to a sittingpoint.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide, in connection with the desk top, a basic slidable book support relatively long from side to side, and a superposed relatively narrow book support slidable parallel to the underlying book support, with sufficient space between the supports to clear a book resting upon the lower supvpor It is contemplated, for example, that a large journal may be placed, open, upon the lower support. This may be six feet long. Ordinarily, a bookkeeper would have to stand before a book of this size, and walk from place to place in posting from the different columns to his ledger. This is tiresome, and the distance of the journal items from the ledger jeopardizes accuracy; By the present invention a bookkeeper may sit at one point, then he may slide the basic support with the open journal thereupon until the desired column is before him. Then he may slide the ledger on the superposed support to a point before him close to the objective column in the journal.

More specific objects of the invention relate to the provision of parallel trackage for the relatively slidable supports, and of a construction which permits the superposed support to be bodily lifted out of the way when its presence is not desired.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the following description of a preferred and practical embodiment thereof proceeds.

In the drawing which accompanies and forms a part of the following specification, and throughout the several figures of which the same characters of reference have been employed to denote identical parts:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a desk, the top of which is provided with the relatively slidable book supports embraced in the concept of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a cross-section taken along the line 22 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical cross-section on a slightly larger scale, the intermediate portions being broken away.

Referring now in detail to the several figures, the numeral l represents in general the desk top which in the illustrative embodiment of the invention consistsof the fixed front and back panels 2 and 3, which preferably lie in the same plane and are spaced apartto provide a slideway for the basic or lower slidable book support 4. Figure 5 2 shows that the top of the desk slopes downwardly toward the front, as is customary in desks, although this is not an essential limitation of the invention. At a suitable distance beneath the plane of the desk top is a longitudinal shelf 5 10 affording support for the track members 6 and I, which as shown are beams extending lengthwise of the desk. The lower or basic book support 4 is provided on its under surface with longitudinal stringers ii and 9 which slide upon the track '15 members 6 and 1, suitable antifriction' bearings such as rollers ill, intervening. The stringers 8 and 9 are preferably set inward from the front and back edges of the sliding support 4, the said edge portions of said support overlying at the front the fixed desk member if and at the rear a beam i2 which lies adjacent the track member 6. The overhanging edge portions of the support 4 are preferably out of contact with the members which they overlie.

At its opposite ends, the desk is provided with stops i3 and I l which lie in the path of movement of the elevated book support it andlimit its movement in an endwise direction. The lower support 4 has cross battens 25 and 26 set back 0 from its ends, which engage the ends 2'! and 23 of the desk top, acting as stops to limit the end-- wise movement of the book support l.

It will be, understood that the lower slidable support 4 is in general of considerable length and I much longer than the corresponding dimension of the superposedbook support l5. The latter is elevated above the lower book support by means of the front and rear battens I1 and I8, the front batten l1 resting upon the front panel 2 of the desk, and the rear batten l8 resting upon a longitudinal track member IS with a suitable antifriction bearing 28 intervening, The track member I9 is preferably secured below the level of the upper face of the back panel 3 and a ledge member 2| extends between the beam [2 and the track member I9 to a height above the surface of the track member l9 so as to provide a channel within which the batten l8 slides, and by which the superposed book support is guided. Particularly where the deskslopes downward toward the front, as shown in Figure 2, the ledge member 2| contacts the inner face of the batten l8, keeping the superposed book support from slipping forward.

Inasmuch as, for the sake of steady writing, it 5 may be desirable to subdue the ease of sliding movement of the superposed book support, the front batten I1 is not provided with an antifriction bearing, but is lined on its lower face with a felt strip 22, which frictionally engages the front panel 2 of the desk, and prevents the book support from sliding too easily. Figure 1 shows an additional superposed slidable support 23 which is in all respects a duplicate of the superposed book support l6, and therefore, does not contribute to the inventive quality of the structure but is sometimes desirable for holding an adding machine 24 or any other suitable instrumentality.

It will be understood from What has been said in connection with the objects of the invention, that the underlying book support 4 is of such length as to accommodate a book such as a large journal, which when open, may be six feet or more in length, and contain a large number of vertical columns of entries. The superposed book support l6 may hold the open ledger, which is a book of much smaller dimensions. Instead of standing and walking from side to side of his journal, as is now the common practice in posting from the journal to the ledger, the bookkeeper may now sit at the middle point of his desk and slide the journal laterally in end direction to bring the desired column conveniently in front of him. He then reaches for the superposed book support and slides the ledger until the latter is in proper juxtaposition to the journal column from which it is desired to post entries into the ledger. In making this sequence of adjustments, the bookkeeper does not have to leave his seat, and the items to be posted are immediately adjacent the point in the ledger to which they are to be transferred. This relationship between the bookkeepers position and any column in a journal and any page of the ledger may be readily arranged. When it is desired to turn the pages of the journal, the book support l6 bearing the ledger, may be pushed laterally to a position entirely out of the way.

It is to be understood that the details of construction as shown and described are merely by way of example, and not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention as claimed, and that the invention contemplates all embodiments of the broad idea in bringing two or more relatively slidable book supports into mutual juxtaposition and in convenient relation to the sitting point of the bookkeeper.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. Bookkeepers desk top, including a laterally slidable book support, and a superposed book support bridging the first mentioned book support and slidable independently thereof and parallel thereto, with vertical clearance between said supports.

2. Bookkeepers desk top, including a pair of independently slidable book supports, one above the other, with sufiicient space therebetween to clear a book on the lower support, said desk top being provided with track means for guiding the movement of said book supports in parallel paths,

3. Bookkeepers desk top, including a laterally slidable book support, and a superposed book support bridging the lower book support and slidable independently thereof and parallel thereto and with vertical clearance between said supports, the lower book support being longer than the superposed book support whereby the latter has a range of movement over the lower book support.

4. Bookkeepers desk top, including front and back panels spaced apart to form a runway, a laterally slidable book support in said runway, track members in said runway on which said book support slides, a groove in said desk top parallel to said runway, and a second book sup port having an element slidably guided in said groove, said second book support being superposed with respect to said first named book support with a sufiicient space between said supports to clear a book resting on the lower support.

5. Bookkeepers desk top, including front and back panels spaced apart to form a runway, a laterally slidable book support in said runway,

track members in said runway on which said book support travels, a groove in said desk top back of said runway and parallel thereto, and a second book support having an element slidably guided in said groove, said second book support being superposed with respect to said first named book support a sufficient space therebetween to clear a book resting upon said lower book support, said end or said second book support resting frictionally upon said front panel.

6. Bookkeepers desk top, including front and back panels spaced apart to form a runway, a laterally slidable book support in said runway, track members in said runway on which said book support travels, a groove in said desk top parallel to said runway and a second book support having an element slidably guided in said groove, said second book support being superposed with respect to said first named book support with sufficient space therebetween to clear a book, said desk top being provided with stops to limit the endwise movement of said book supports.

7. Bookkeepers desk top, including front and back panels arranged in a plane inclined downwardly toward the front of the desk, said panels being spaced apart to form a runway, a laterally slidable book support in said runway, track members in said runway on which said book support travels, a groove in said desk top back of said runway and parallel thereto, a second book support having an element slidably guided in said groove, said second book support being superposed with respect to said first named book support with sufficient space therebetween to clear a book, the forward end of said second mentioned book support resting frictionally upon said front panel, and the forward side of said groove serving to prevent said second mentioned book support from slipping forwardly.

JESSE M. RAINWA'IER. 

